


Shotgun

by ferix79



Category: Final Fantasy XV
Genre: Cars, Cuddling & Snuggling, Devotion, Fast Cars, Gen, Ignis is just really devoted to his job and his boys, Implied OT4 but could be seen as Gen, Implied Relationships, Multi, The Regalia - Freeform
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-01-05
Updated: 2017-01-05
Packaged: 2018-09-15 00:49:50
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,898
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/9212294
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ferix79/pseuds/ferix79
Summary: Ignis is a very, very good driver. Prompto wants to drive the Regalia, but Ignis finds a better job for him.or How Ignis’ unwavering attention to detail saves their lives. Again.





	

**Author's Note:**

> This idea has been bouncing around in my head for the past week or two as Ive been playing. I drive a LOT in the game so I spend a lot of time just staring at these fools.

There was a reason they would always sit in the arrangement they did in the Regalia. Ignis and Prompto in the front, Noctis and Gladiolus in the back. Every time, without fail, unless Noctis was driving. 

When Ignis had been told at the age of 18 that he would occasionally be responsible for driving Noctis from place to place, he took the direction very seriously. He practiced driving in the Regalia or the King’s similar cars for weeks, and even took lessons from the King’s own professional drivers. Not for simple driving tips, no, but to learn complicated and dangerous maneuvers, like how to turn a car around at 60 miles an hour without stopping. He learned just how much force he had to put into the wheel and the pedal to swerve and spin the car in the direction he wanted it to go—namely, the direction that would put the prince farthest away from danger. He learned how to drift around tight corners, how to snap the car into a parking spot in seconds, and how to drive in reverse without constantly confusing the direction of the wheels. 

“The royalty probably don’t give up as much credit as they could,” One middle-aged woman drawled to Ignis one day, when they were out for drinks with the other drivers after one of his lessons, “But somebody’s got to save they ass if shit hits the fan in the car. And, for the prince, that somebody just might be you. Take it to heart,” she had said, with a strong clap on his shoulder. Ignis made sure he did. 

When he’d told Gladio about all that he’d learned before they left for Altissa, the man had laughed at him. His boys liked to call him ‘paranoid’. Ignis much preferred ‘prepared’. It did not matter to him what he had to do or learn to perform his job—if it protected the prince, it was worth knowing.

When they’d first set out on their trip—looking wide eyed into the wide unexplored world with a sense of adventure—he’d allowed Prompto to drive the Regalia. Just once, after they’d already passed all the Crown City checkpoints, and only when a long stretch of straight road lay before them. What could go wrong? It would be a good opportunity to teach the younger man a little more about driving a car from the royal fleet—a skill he very well might need if he was to join the Crownsguard. 

Everything could go wrong, it seemed. Despite driving for less than an hour, the car broke down under Prompto’s frankly lacking care and Ignis promised himself he’d never let the blonde drive again, no matter how much he begged. 

As it turned out, he didn’t have to worry. 

They’d been driving some days later with the intention of reaching Galdin Quay by dark, but the sun was hanging too low in the sky for Ignis to be comfortable. He told Prompto, sitting in the passenger’s seat, to keep an eye out for signs for a rest stop. Up ahead was a big, brightly lit billboard signaling the direction and distance of Galdin Quay, but it was just too far away for that night’s drive. 

“Ah, Iggy, that sign says there’s a rest stop three miles to the west at this next turn,” Prompto said, as if the alleged sign was as large and brightly lit as the one for the Quay. He almost didn’t believe the other man at first, didn’t want to be led astray if he had a bad sense of direction, but, sure enough, the blonde was right. 

Only, it took a good 20 more seconds of driving closer for Ignis to see the same sign clearly. 

He watched Prompto more closely then, in battles and during their other trysts around the countryside. Despite occasionally goofing off, he’d never realized how stalwart of a watchman Prompto was turning into. While Gladio and himself watched Noctis—and, by extension, Prompto—Prompto watched the skies, scanned the landscape and squinted through the shrubbery of the countryside with painstaking focus and accuracy. When Ignis witnessed him shoot the knife out of MT’s hand from across a chaotic battlefield, he knew that there was no way he was mistaken.

Perhaps he should rethink the seating arrangement, he thought one night, lying awake next to a slumbering Noctis in a motel bed. 

“Prompto, you’re going to take the passenger’s seat in the Regalia from now on,” Ignis announced over breakfast the next day, resulting in curious looks from his other three partners. 

“Uh, okay,” Prompto replied, his mouth hanging slightly open as he picked up another forkful of eggs. 

“I’ll be the only one driving, until Noct improves a little,” an annoyed glance from the prince, but there was no bite behind it, “Noct will sit behind me and Gladio behind Prom.” 

“No objections here Iggy,” Gladio said, reaching over to ruffle his semi-permanent seat partner’s hair, “But, if you don’t mind me asking, why?” Ignis certainly didn’t mind. 

“After careful examination of all of our strengths and weaknesses, I concluded this would be the best arrangement. I’m the most steadfast driver, and I’m increasingly certain that Prompto can accurately see twice as far as the rest of us, if not more, so his presence in the passenger’s seat will mean a better chance that we see an enemy attack coming from farther away,” Ignis explained with the practiced certainty of a scholar, while the other three sat back and listened, “Noctis will sit in the back because he’s easier to protect from there; having Gladio next to him and myself in front of him means that he’s protected from more than one side. Our job as the Crownsguard means we must never wane in our protection of the prince, so I thought it only natural to introduce the idea into our time on the road.” 

Noctis laughed at him for, once again, being so ‘paranoid’, but accepted the seating arrangement nonetheless. So, that was that, and they all gladly sat in the seats Ignis had deemed best from that day on. 

Through their whole journey they only ever put Ignis’ seating formation to use once, but once was enough for Ignis to thank every star in the sky that it all went off without a hitch. 

To the untrained eye, the watchtower outside Formouth Garrison looked the same as it did every day. But to Prompto’s sharp gaze—

“Sniper! MT’s up on the walls—Iggy!” 

Before he could even finish his sentence Ignis swerved the Regalia sharply to the right. Put the prince farthest away from the danger. A bullet cracked the car’s windshield, but the bulletproof glass stood up to the test. Gladio pulled Noctis down into the footwell of the backseat, a steady hand on the prince’s back to keep him down and his body pressed firm over Noctis’. Any incoming harm would come to him, not the prince. Only when the car skidded to a stop did they hear the whine of missiles headed towards them. By some miracle they came up short on their mark, but the Regalia was still showered in a hail of sand and rocks. So far, so good, Ignis thought. 

When the dust settled Prompto was out of the car immediately, not even bothering to open the door. He leapt over the side, his Auto Crossbow materializing into his hands as he hit the ground and began firing on the approaching MTs. Gladio was next, entering the fray with a slam of his greatsword. Ignis remained behind, helping Noctis up out of the footwell. 

“Any injuries?” he asked, opening the door for his prince. 

“Not a one.” 

That was what Ignis liked to hear. 

Seconds later Noctis was gone in a flash of blue light. Finally, Ignis moved to join the battle, the comfortable weight of his daggers forming in his hands. Everything was going fine, MTs falling easily to their linked attacks and Noctis’ lightning spells, until the silhouette of a high-grade MA-X appeared over the wall of the garrison. 

“Gentlemen, I believe we’ve been outmatched.”

“Yeaahhh,” Prompto whined, already stepping backwards towards the car, “Maybe it’s about time to call it a day.”

The four turned and bolted when the MA-X’s rocket launchers sprung out of its sides. Ignis didn’t dare look back to see what else was headed their way. 

The Regalia was still running when they jumped in once more, Ignis switching the gear into reverse and doing a quick once over to make sure everyone was seated. Once he confirmed that Noctis was safe he held nothing back. The car slammed into backwards motion, catching the other three men off guard. Gladio snatched Noctis out of midair, just narrowly saving the prince from smashing his head into the back of the driver’s seat. Prompto caught himself on the dashboard. 

“Jeez, Iggy, give a guy a warning!” he shouted over the roar of the engine, then the whine of the missiles. Thankfully, the Regalia was as reliable as she ever was, and Ignis maneuvered them out of range of the missiles in no time. With one foot on the brake and practiced hands on the wheel he whipped the car around, shifting it into forward motion in the blink of an eye. He charted the course in his mind back to Hammerhead, and after that the Imperial fleet was easily outrun. The MA-X pilot and MTs quickly lost interest. 

The ride back to Hammerhead was veiled by a tense silence, mostly brought on by both Ignis and Prompto’s renewed hyper vigilance in the front seat. A repeat attack from the same MT squadron was unlikely, but one overlooked robot could lead to a disaster. It nearly had. 

Cindy welcomed the boys—and their car—into the garage with open arms and the always-sincere lilt of her voice. Cid barked at them to be more careful with such an antique, but expressed equal relief that they were unharmed. While Prompto and Gladio took off to Takka’s right away, Ignis requested that Noctis join him in the camper for a moment. 

The prince hadn’t expected to end up lying on top of Ignis, his adviser’s arms wrapped firmly around him, but he supposed he didn’t mind. The man had had a stressful day. 

“I’m glad you’re paranoid,” Noctis offered. Once again, Ignis’ unwavering attention to detail had saved their lives. Noctis wondered how many times this had happened, or if any of them were keeping track. 

“I’m glad you’re _alive_ ,” Ignis shot back, refusing to let the smaller man go. Instead, Noctis felt his still-gloved hands start to rub soothing circles into his back. Perhaps it was more for Ignis’ own comfort, rather than his. 

He chuckled at the realization; resting his head against Ignis’ chest and reaching up to gently pull the glasses off the man’s face. Ignis’ eyes were closed in what Noctis could only guess was a mixture of great concern and deep seated devotion. Noctis carded his fingers through the other man’s hair slowly, willing him to relax. 

“Want to go hit up Takka’s in a little? I could really go for a sandwich, dunno about you…” Noctis said, no real intention of getting up anytime soon. 

“Just…give me a few more minutes Noct. Just a few.”

**Author's Note:**

> [Like my work? Buy me a ko-fi and I'll write you a drabble!](https://ko-fi.com/A175LK5)
> 
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